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Protective immunity against hepatitis B virus infection in a group of vaccinated Sri Lankan military service men following a complete course of vaccination

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Abstract

Vaccination is the appropriate measure to protect military personnel against the hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Testing the military personnel for anti-HBs levels after vaccination is vital in re-vaccinating those that have not developed protective immunity. The aim of the current study was to determine the immunity in a group of vaccinated Sri Lankan military personnel (n = 150; age = 26–44 years) following a complete course of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) vaccination by assessing the antibodies against HBsAg (anti-HBs) levels. Three months after the last dose of the vaccination, blood samples were collected from the study population and tested for anti-HBs levels using a commercially available ELISA. Of the 150 military service men tested, 139 (92.67%) had anti-HBs levels higher than 10 mIU/mL, WHO approved levels for protective immunity against HBV infection. Of the 139 that had sufficient anti-HBs levels, 24% (36/150) had anti-HBs levels between 10 and 100 mIU/mL and 68.67% (103/150) had anti-HBs levels > 100 mIU/mL. Overall, 7.33% (11/150) participants had anti-HBs levels < 10 mIU/mL. Sero-conversion to > 10 mIU/mL anti-HBs was more than 90% in those that were less than 40 years of age and it was less than 90% in those that were more than 40 years of age.

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Funding

This study was supported by Postgraduate Institute of Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, 20400, Sri Lanka

    Faseeha Noordeen, F. N. Nagoor Pitchai, S. W. P. Lakmini Daulagala & A. M. S. Bandara Abeykoon

  2. Faculty of Medicine, Sir John Kotelawela Defence University, Ratmalana, 10390, Sri Lanka

    H. M. Sagara Karunaratne & Varuna Nawaratne

Authors
  1. Faseeha Noordeen
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  2. H. M. Sagara Karunaratne
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  3. Varuna Nawaratne
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  4. F. N. Nagoor Pitchai
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  5. S. W. P. Lakmini Daulagala
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  6. A. M. S. Bandara Abeykoon
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Correspondence to Faseeha Noordeen.

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Noordeen, F., Karunaratne, H.M.S., Nawaratne, V. et al. Protective immunity against hepatitis B virus infection in a group of vaccinated Sri Lankan military service men following a complete course of vaccination. VirusDis. 30, 462–464 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13337-019-00546-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13337-019-00546-1

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